A LEADER BOTH ON THE ICE AND IN THE LOCKER ROOM, DEFENSEMAN CRAIG LUDWIG WAS A STABILIZING FORCE ON THE HABS’ BLUE LINE FOR EIGHT SEASONS.

Though he was never the quickest or most mobile player, Craig Ludwig developed into one of the premier defensive defensemen of his era. Rarely guilty of taking a bad penalty, he maintained an average of just over one penalty minute per game.

The Rhinelander, WI, native was a very effective player who stayed within his limitations and managed 25 assists in 1982-83, his first NHL season, ranking third among the team’s defensemen.

Ludwig enjoyed a successful run with the University of North Dakota, winning two NCAA championships as a member of the Fighting Sioux. There, he played alongside a number of future NHLers and had the chance to play for the American national team at the World Junior Hockey Championship.

Chosen 61st overall by the Canadiens in the third round of the 1980 entry draft, he made a lasting impression during his first training camp in 1982-83, solidifying his position on the team for the entire season.

A shot-blocking specialist, Ludwig relied primarily on the special shinguards that he developed, with thicker padding for better protection.

A team leader on the ice and in the dressing room, Ludwig spent eight seasons with the Habs. He contributed 26 goals and 111 assists for 137 points in 597 games, winning the Stanley Cup in 1986. He scored a career-high seven goals in 1987 and won the Jacques Beauchamp Trophy three times from 1983 to 1986 as the team’s unsung hero.

Looking to add a young defenseman to the lineup, the Canadiens traded Ludwig to the New York Islanders in exchange for Gerald Diduck. After one season in Long Island, he was traded once again, this time to Minnesota for Tom Kurvers. In 1993, he went to Dallas when the franchise relocated and was subsequently reunited with former teammate-turned-general manager Bob Gainey.

On March 12, 1996, he played his 1,000th career game, a noteworthy accomplishment for a player who quietly played in the shadow of his superstar teammates and had never imagined he would become an NHL veteran.

In 1999, he won his second Stanley Cup, the first in Stars’ franchise history, before retiring after 17 seasons in the NHL.